Kresge Foundation Provides Grant of More Than $1 Million to Institute of Medicine

WASHINGTON — The Kresge Foundation has provided a grant of $1,050,000 to the Institute of Medicine to support its roundtables on environmental health sciences, research, and medicine; promotion of health equity and elimination of health disparities; and population health improvement.The roundtables provide neutral venues for government and industry leaders, researchers, health care practitioners, nongovernmental organizations, and consumers to explore complex health topics through discussion of scientific information and best practices.

"This generous grant will enable the Institute of Medicine to bring together relevant stakeholders so that they may reach common ground on complicated health topics that are critical to the nation," said Institute of Medicine President Harvey V. Fineberg.

The Roundtable on Environmental Health Science, Research, and Medicine has provided an important convening mechanism for the field, examining difficult and timely issues such as the health effects of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing.The roundtable will explore the nexus of economics, environment, and health with a focus on "health in all policies."

The Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities focuses on the longstanding problem of poor health outcomes for vulnerable populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities.The roundtable maintains a continued policy focus on health inequalities and encourages dialogue about potential strategies to reduce these disparities.

In addition, the newly formed Roundtable on Population Health Improvement will bring together a wide range of health leaders and stakeholders to examine population-based health care approaches that can help stem the tide of preventable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease that burden the nation's health care system, employers, communities, and families.

The Kresge Foundation is a $3 billion private, national foundation that seeks to influence the quality of life for future generations through its support of nonprofit organizations working in its seven program areas: arts and culture, community development, Detroit, education, the environment, health, and human services.In 2011, the Board of Trustees approved 356 awards totaling $170 million; $140 million was paid out to grantees over the course of the year.For more information, visit http://kresge.org.

Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public.The Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Research Council together make up the independent, nonprofit National Academies.For more information, visit http://national-academies.org or http://iom.edu.